Rugby Commentators/Presenters
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Well I don't get too excited over who is commentating games. I maybe different, but I quite enjoy Ken Laban, mainly because I get impression he loves the game and actually goes to a lot of school and club rugby when off air. I also enjoy Hames whoI find has interesting points of view from refs decisions at times. TJ , Nesbitt etc I can take or leave, when I watch rugby I kind of take more interest in what players are doing more than commentators.
In saying that I find Justin Marshall a bit annoying when he rants about decisions that quite often he has got wrong. Point things out but don't harp I tend to think. Still I have just got back form 20 odd years in Aus and had a diet of Kearnsire and Marto etc who at times tried their hardest to be comedians, which doesn't work. -
@dan54 said in NZ Rugby Commentators:
Well I don't get too excited over who is commentating games. I maybe different, but I quite enjoy Ken Laban, mainly because I get impression he loves the game and actually goes to a lot of school and club rugby when off air. I also enjoy Hames whoI find has interesting points of view from refs decisions at times. TJ , Nesbitt etc I can take or leave, when I watch rugby I kind of take more interest in what players are doing more than commentators.
In saying that I find Justin Marshall a bit annoying when he rants about decisions that quite often he has got wrong. Point things out but don't harp I tend to think. Still I have just got back form 20 odd years in Aus and had a diet of Kearnsire and Marto etc who at times tried their hardest to be comedians, which doesn't work.When does therapy start?
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Ken Laban is the best with his fantastic pronunciations followed by Rikki Swannell. Not many good expert commentators sadly, too much of a boys club on sky. Bring back Jon Preston, that man knows his stuff.
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@african-monkey said in NZ Rugby Commentators:
Ken Laban is the best with his fantastic pronunciations followed by Rikki Swannell. Not many good expert commentators sadly, too much of a boys club on sky. Bring back Jon Preston, that man knows his stuff.
I found him a bit annoying until I saw him on the breakdown and it became so clear that he is a super club man who has been supporting the game for (pretty much) his whole life. Now I find myself quite liking his 'what high school did X graduate from.'
I don't find Swannell's voice annoying, but that might be because I have a few more women around in my life with far more annoying voices.
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@dan54 said in NZ Rugby Commentators:
Well I don't get too excited over who is commentating games. I maybe different, but I quite enjoy Ken Laban, mainly because I get impression he loves the game and actually goes to a lot of school and club rugby when off air. I also enjoy Hames whoI find has interesting points of view from refs decisions at times. TJ , Nesbitt etc I can take or leave, when I watch rugby I kind of take more interest in what players are doing more than commentators.
In saying that I find Justin Marshall a bit annoying when he rants about decisions that quite often he has got wrong. Point things out but don't harp I tend to think. Still I have just got back form 20 odd years in Aus and had a diet of Kearnsire and Marto etc who at times tried their hardest to be comedians, which doesn't work.Apart from the 1995 RWC when we were mercifully spared the ridiculous Gordon Bray and had the decent team of Fordham (pretty shit but harmless) and Nick Farr-Jones and Simon Poedevin (before he started on his angry pills) Australian commentary has always been absolutely dire. The only positive is that Bray, Kearns and Maaaaaardo have never commented together. I’d rather mute them and listen to the farking Spice Girls.
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@gt12 said in NZ Rugby Commentators:
I found him a bit annoying until I saw him on the breakdown and it became so clear that he is a super club man who has been supporting the game for (pretty much) his whole life. Now I find myself quite liking his 'what high school did X graduate from.'
I've seen Laban's notebook for 1st XV games. Some people might not like his RL-style commentary but you could never accuse him of not being prepared.
As far as analysts go, I like Meg when he analyses what he sees and avoids showing his ignorance of the laws.
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@bovidae I feel Meg only works in analysis after or before a game, during is where he is annoying AF and prone to his emotional outbursts or getting things completely wrong.
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I don't find Meg nearly as annoying as TJ and Nisbett. I don't mind Swannell, don't mind Laban aside from "second man play".
Not sure how anyone can love Nisbo, he gets the players wrong pretty much every minute of the game. It used to be just brown players but I think he's colour blind now as he muddles up every one. His voice is fine.
The worst commentator in any sport ever was Jason Costigan, Sky needed a bullet for hiring him and his uber nasally Aussie accent.
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@crucial said in NZ Rugby Commentators:
@dan54 said in NZ Rugby Commentators:
Well I don't get too excited over who is commentating games. I maybe different, but I quite enjoy Ken Laban, mainly because I get impression he loves the game and actually goes to a lot of school and club rugby when off air. I also enjoy Hames whoI find has interesting points of view from refs decisions at times. TJ , Nesbitt etc I can take or leave, when I watch rugby I kind of take more interest in what players are doing more than commentators.
In saying that I find Justin Marshall a bit annoying when he rants about decisions that quite often he has got wrong. Point things out but don't harp I tend to think. Still I have just got back form 20 odd years in Aus and had a diet of Kearnsire and Marto etc who at times tried their hardest to be comedians, which doesn't work.When does therapy start?
Started mate, I went to a couple of club games here on weekend and found I starting to feel everything on an even keel again.
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@rancid-schnitzel said in NZ Rugby Commentators:
@dan54 said in NZ Rugby Commentators:
Well I don't get too excited over who is commentating games. I maybe different, but I quite enjoy Ken Laban, mainly because I get impression he loves the game and actually goes to a lot of school and club rugby when off air. I also enjoy Hames whoI find has interesting points of view from refs decisions at times. TJ , Nesbitt etc I can take or leave, when I watch rugby I kind of take more interest in what players are doing more than commentators.
In saying that I find Justin Marshall a bit annoying when he rants about decisions that quite often he has got wrong. Point things out but don't harp I tend to think. Still I have just got back form 20 odd years in Aus and had a diet of Kearnsire and Marto etc who at times tried their hardest to be comedians, which doesn't work.Apart from the 1995 RWC when we were mercifully spared the ridiculous Gordon Bray and had the decent team of Fordham (pretty shit but harmless) and Nick Farr-Jones and Simon Poedevin (before he started on his angry pills) Australian commentary has always been absolutely dire. The only positive is that Bray, Kearns and Maaaaaardo have never commented together. I’d rather mute them and listen to the farking Spice Girls.
Funnily enough I came to enjoy Bray, I was away somewheer and watching a test on FTA in Aus and he was doing commentary, and I found hom reasonablt knowledgeable. Think I also enjoyed his work on neutral games during one WC.
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@dan54 said in NZ Rugby Commentators:
@rancid-schnitzel said in NZ Rugby Commentators:
@dan54 said in NZ Rugby Commentators:
Well I don't get too excited over who is commentating games. I maybe different, but I quite enjoy Ken Laban, mainly because I get impression he loves the game and actually goes to a lot of school and club rugby when off air. I also enjoy Hames whoI find has interesting points of view from refs decisions at times. TJ , Nesbitt etc I can take or leave, when I watch rugby I kind of take more interest in what players are doing more than commentators.
In saying that I find Justin Marshall a bit annoying when he rants about decisions that quite often he has got wrong. Point things out but don't harp I tend to think. Still I have just got back form 20 odd years in Aus and had a diet of Kearnsire and Marto etc who at times tried their hardest to be comedians, which doesn't work.Apart from the 1995 RWC when we were mercifully spared the ridiculous Gordon Bray and had the decent team of Fordham (pretty shit but harmless) and Nick Farr-Jones and Simon Poedevin (before he started on his angry pills) Australian commentary has always been absolutely dire. The only positive is that Bray, Kearns and Maaaaaardo have never commented together. I’d rather mute them and listen to the farking Spice Girls.
Funnily enough I came to enjoy Bray, I was away somewheer and watching a test on FTA in Aus and he was doing commentary, and I found hom reasonablt knowledgeable. Think I also enjoyed his work on neutral games during one WC.
Haven’t gone near any of his games for years. He may have mellowed but I can’t stand that voice. My experience is from the 90s when he orgasmed every time Campese touched the ball. After that Matt Burke was his crush. When around the players he was like a teenage girl at a Bieber concert.
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@rancid-schnitzel said in NZ Rugby Commentators:
@dan54 said in NZ Rugby Commentators:
@rancid-schnitzel said in NZ Rugby Commentators:
@dan54 said in NZ Rugby Commentators:
Well I don't get too excited over who is commentating games. I maybe different, but I quite enjoy Ken Laban, mainly because I get impression he loves the game and actually goes to a lot of school and club rugby when off air. I also enjoy Hames whoI find has interesting points of view from refs decisions at times. TJ , Nesbitt etc I can take or leave, when I watch rugby I kind of take more interest in what players are doing more than commentators.
In saying that I find Justin Marshall a bit annoying when he rants about decisions that quite often he has got wrong. Point things out but don't harp I tend to think. Still I have just got back form 20 odd years in Aus and had a diet of Kearnsire and Marto etc who at times tried their hardest to be comedians, which doesn't work.Apart from the 1995 RWC when we were mercifully spared the ridiculous Gordon Bray and had the decent team of Fordham (pretty shit but harmless) and Nick Farr-Jones and Simon Poedevin (before he started on his angry pills) Australian commentary has always been absolutely dire. The only positive is that Bray, Kearns and Maaaaaardo have never commented together. I’d rather mute them and listen to the farking Spice Girls.
Funnily enough I came to enjoy Bray, I was away somewheer and watching a test on FTA in Aus and he was doing commentary, and I found hom reasonablt knowledgeable. Think I also enjoyed his work on neutral games during one WC.
Haven’t gone near any of his games for years. He may have mellowed but I can’t stand that voice. My experience is from the 90s when he orgasmed every time Campese touched the ball. After that Matt Burke was his crush. When around the players he was like a teenage girl at a Bieber concert.
Yep that was why I didn't like him too much,I think voice was annoying, but in 2015 WC I heard him on a few neutral tests ( I am a rugby tragic and watch everyone play) and was surprised how good he had become. May of just improved with age.
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My most annoying rugby commentator I think is relatively new "I think". I had to put a few games on mute last year when he was calling the Mitre 10 Cup. He was monotone, repetitive and deliberately had a pause between every syllable. Was annoying AF. Made me appreciate the other guys more. I have no idea of what his name was but hopefully I don't have to hear him again.
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@taniwharugby said in NZ Rugby Commentators:
@bovidae I feel Meg only works in analysis after or before a game, during is where he is annoying AF and prone to his emotional outbursts or getting things completely wrong.
I think Meg is good value when looking at backline formations from scrums/lineouts to predict what the move may be, or how the attacking team was able to manipulate the defending team to score a try. Sure, he won't be 100% correct all of the time, but that is what an analyst should do. I don't bother with the fluff before games, unless it is an AB test. The current SRA post-match stuff is cringe-worthy.
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@bovidae said in NZ Rugby Commentators:
@taniwharugby said in NZ Rugby Commentators:
@bovidae I feel Meg only works in analysis after or before a game, during is where he is annoying AF and prone to his emotional outbursts or getting things completely wrong.
I think Meg is good value when looking at backline formations from scrums/lineouts to predict what the move may be, or how the attacking team was able to manipulate the defending team to score a try. Sure, he won't be 100% correct all of the time, but that is what an analyst should do. I don't bother with the fluff before games, unless it is an AB test. The current SRA post-match stuff is cringe-worthy.
I will concede that when he does that stuff, I don't mind him being there.
He does actually have an ability to read a game like a coach and provides a levelof insight that us viewers don't usually spot.
The remainder of the time he can just STFU though. -
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@bovidae said in NZ Rugby Commentators:
@taniwharugby said in NZ Rugby Commentators:
@bovidae I feel Meg only works in analysis after or before a game, during is where he is annoying AF and prone to his emotional outbursts or getting things completely wrong.
I think Meg is good value when looking at backline formations from scrums/lineouts to predict what the move may be, or how the attacking team was able to manipulate the defending team to score a try. Sure, he won't be 100% correct all of the time, but that is what an analyst should do. I don't bother with the fluff before games, unless it is an AB test. The current SRA post-match stuff is cringe-worthy.
Depends what you’re into. Apparently the comedy stylings of Joe Wheeler aren’t to be missed.
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@bones said in NZ Rugby Commentators:
@Bovidae @Crucial that's interesting. My impression is he gets it wrong more often than he gets it right and I just find it a bit pointless. "Reece is lining up behind the scrum here" no shit Sherlock, that's a typical place for the blindside winger to stand.
Yeah. I have no idea why he feels the need to say something just because.
That's not the 'analysis' I'm talking about. It is the (rare) times when he has time to put his brain in gear before letting the clutch off his mouth and uses a replay to show how (for example) a defence was manipulated successfully to create a half gap in a planned move or a quick sequence of rucks creates a mismatch.
He has the ability to set up some good 'circles and arrows' stuff for half time and post match and that is where he should be used IMO. A bit like Kafer did at the start in Oz before he went all Mr Clickbait.
